Macrobiotics Today, November/December 1994, Vol. 34, No. 6
"Where I've Been - Where I'm Going" Patricia Becker
One of the best things that ever happened to me was reading a book a dozen years ago about macrobiotics titled, You Are All Sanpaku, by George Ohsawa. I was very intrigued, so I continued reading books about macrobiotics and immediately acted on the lifestyle ideas.
Sugar, dairy, and frozen foods were out. Grains, beans, and sea vegetables were in. I made the transition to macrobiotics very quickly because I was motivated by vanity. I wanted to have a clear, smooth complexion. I figured the acne on my face would be quick to heal because the books I was reading told of miraculous macrobiotic cures of much more serious health problems. Ha! It took about two years. During the first six months, I went from 128 to 98 pounds, but my complexion showed only slight improvements. I later realized that the acne actually served as a bodily cleansing mechanism to rid itself of the excess fats and sugars that I had ingested before my switch to healthier eating habits.
My family and friends were not supportive of my new solo journey. Yet, I felt absolutely wonderful. I felt more calm, peaceful, and energetic. My memory improved, and the clarity of my thoughts thrilled me. (And let me tell you, I was no slouch before my diet change!) Therefore, I knew I was doing the right thing. I had to develop faith as my body's infinite wisdom cleaned house in an orderly fashion.
The dietary guidelines offer a good, solid foundation from which to base food choices. I was fortunate to understand from the beginning of my practice that they are guidelines, not a regimen. There is much health and balance to be obtained from eating a simple diet of organic whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. And, there is a time when you eat whatever is being offered. There is much more to macrobiotics than just diet. Macrobiotics is about learning how to enjoy the gift of life in a harmonizing fashion. The food and the philosophy are the tools I use for myself as well as share with others.
Body Wisdom
I have completely adopted a macrobiotic lifestyle and know what positive outcomes it can produce. Also, I believe in the inherent natural healing wisdom and ability of the body, whether or not the healing is being assisted on a conscious level. I like to emphasize support of the body's infinite wisdom in the healing process rather than some sort of overt takeover! Often times, if the dis-eased [sic] person would just eat less, breathe deeply, think happy thoughts, and go to sleep by 9:00 or 10:00 p.m., the condition would heal considerably. Too often, people want to make the return to better health much more analytical, scientific, and complicated than need be. Sometimes the most appropriate medicine involves humoring the patient while the body heals itself - permitting a placebo to be used while the body naturally heals. Allowing and supporting the body's organs, systems, and its billions of functions to do the healing is the cornerstone of my macrobiotic practice. Of course, the style of support varies from person to person.
I used to think that the macrobiotic principles were the only ones that could restore health and vitality to the people of the planet. In a certain sense that is true, because macrobiotics embraces yin and yang energies. But cultures all over the world have lived according to these principles calling them by different names, such as heaven and earth. Now, I feel that words like macrobiotics, God, and spirit can stand for greater love, compassion, and understanding, though I know that these ideas can also cause great separation and pain. I endeavor to be ever mindful of the overall positive aspects of these words.
Nearly everyone who explains macrobiotics will have a somewhat different definition. This is part of the beauty and challenge within the macrobiotic community. There are many blatant misconceptions about macrobiotics that, I hope, will be cleared up as soon as they possibly can. Even some people with supposed authority can provide misinformation about the subject. I once overheard a salesclerk in a health food store tell a customer that "macrobiotics is not good because it does not allow the eating of fruit." I wish to make macrobiotics accessible and understandable to more people.
There are many grass roots organizations and groups promoting various aspects of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that I consider to be macrobiotic. Many of these groups are reaching a much larger audience than the teachers using some esoteric and difficult to practice interpretation of macrobiotics. More people are realizing that the web of a healthy and happy existence can be woven in many ways. Those involved in alternative medicine, natural healing therapies, sustainable agriculture, and safe food and water organizations are all weaving an important part of this beautiful web. I hope to see the expansion of this attitude within the macrobiotic community. Macrobiotics cannot do it alone. We are independent of, yet totally dependent on, others.
Just Pick One
Again, the relatively small macrobiotic community cannot heal all the people on the planet alone. It takes study with books, classes, counselors, and friends to derive the understanding needed to apply the concepts to everyday food choices and lifestyle patterns of behavior. In this age of mass communication and information, it is easy to get distracted by other healing modalities before grasping a good comprehension of one. I say pick one, any one, and study it inside out for a few years. Then, use that basic understanding as a foundation to build on. I would recommend macrobiotic studies as a good choice because it takes personal heritage, condition, activity level, and goals into consideration. Macrobiotics deals with what is appropriate as opposed to what is right or wrong.
I became a "born-again" macrobiotic in the sense that I wanted everyone to know how inexpensive and easy it was to heal themselves. Any time I could tie macrobiotics into a conversation, I did. After all, the schools and universities did not seem to be teaching how to really gain personal health and well-being. I was like a sea sponge soaking up and digesting every morsel of macrobiotic wisdom that I could find, and then I wanted to share my knowledge. My pushy stage did not last very long before a teacher of mine asked me to begin teaching cooking classes. That gave me structure and form to teach what I had been learning. People came to the classes because they wanted to learn, not because I wanted them to learn!
Travel Opened My Eyes
My travels in Europe, New Zealand, and Australia were real eye-openers that profoundly changed my ideas of what it means to be macrobiotic. I stayed with many families who lived a beautiful, basic lifestyle in the countryside. They had wood stoves that heated the water, kept them warm, and cooked dinner. A bar hung above the stove to hang clothes to dry in the winter. Most would chop their own wood. Nearly all the families had vegetable gardens. They may not have even heard of the word "macrobiotic," but to me they were more macrobiotic than some of the people I had met in the United States who professed to be. I realized then that "macrobiotic" is just a word.
After 12 years of going to macrobiotic summer camps, conferences, schools, workshops, and classes, I am still fascinated by the subject, although sometimes I drop the word "macrobiotics" from conversations and public cooking class announcements because many people hold onto old, peculiar, and often unhealthy concepts regarding macrobiotics. I use intuition and timing to tell me when to use the word, although the principles are ever-present in my consciousness.
My life has much more variety and satisfaction than it did 12 years ago. I used to sit in front of a computer all day working for a large corporation making lots of money while I made myself sick. Now I make much less money, but I feel richer than before. I also feel happier, freer, and more confident than I ever have. I manage weekly Gourmet Vegetarian Dinners and invite after-dinner speakers that educate about their particular area of health and healing. I work at an organic gardening store and organize the schedule of weekend gardening classes. I give cooking classes and nutritional counseling. I live on an organic farm and wilderness preserve, which means that I can harvest fresh vegetables, play in the dirt, pick flowers and hike the trails to my heart's content. I continue to grow and learn each new day with my curious mind. I like seeking out answers to questions that come forth in my own mind or that are posed to me by others.
There are times when I have very lofty ambitions to reach larger and larger audiences by having cooking demonstrations on video to sell. I have visualized myself standing before a crowd of 300 people to explain the macrobiotic principles to follow for endless personal and planetary benefits! Then there are times when I want to spend my days gardening, dancing, and singing with friends while others do the teaching.
End of Article
Author bio-statement: Patricia Becker is a chef and cooking teacher living in Los Altos, California. She organizes weekly eat-in and carry-out dinners in Palo Alto, California. For information call (415) 949-3115.
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